Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to computing systems, and more particularly, to various embodiments for managing multiple drones, such as for transporting items between locations.
Description of the Related Art
One of the problems expected with the practical implementation of drone (e.g., unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)) based shipping and/or delivery systems is that the current state of the art drones have relatively limited ranges and/or carrying (or payload) capacity. As such, such drone based systems are often envisioned as being utilized in a multi-stage or multi-drone method in which a first drone transports the item(s) being shipped to an intermediate location, where it is retrieved by a second drone which transports the item for the next segment of the delivery/shipping process, and/or in combination with conventional shipping/delivery systems, such as those utilizing larger (e.g., manned) aircraft and/or ground vehicles, when the item needs to be transported long distances.
Although the multi-stage approach has the potential to minimize the need for additional infrastructure (e.g., other vehicles) and human interaction, one potential problem is the availability of appropriate and secure locations where the item(s) could be left by one drone and retrieved by the subsequent drone.